Orioles acquire Bud Norris from Astros
The Baltimore Orioles acquired starting pitcher Bud Norris from the Houston Astros in the minutes before Wednesday's trade deadline, so in a month added two rotation pieces – Norris and Scott Feldman – along with reliever Francisco Rodriguez.
Sitting in third place in the AL East and being outpitched by the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox ahead of them, the Orioles made a month-long push to cover that ground. The Red Sox traded for Jake Peavy on Tuesday. The Rays – with a healthy David Price, and Alex Cobb expected to return in August, and in spite of Matt Moore's recent elbow soreness – have one of the better rotations in the American League.
The Orioles did not pick up a top-end pitcher, but neither did they part with an elite prospect in adding depth to their rotation and bullpen. For Norris, they traded outfielder L.J. Hoes, a competitive-balance pick and 19-year-old left-hander Josh Hader. As a result, the Orioles get better today, and the Astros continue to aim for tomorrow.
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